Rick Hill is the Valero Alamo Bowl’s VP of Marketing and Communications. Prior to the bowl, Rick spent 6 years working for the Spurs, one season with Missions Baseball and two fruitless months trying to sell season tickets for the S.A. Riders.

Note: This is an mySA.com City Brights Blog. These blogs are not written or edited by mySA or the San Antonio Express-News. The authors are solely responsible for the content.

God Bless the U.S.A.

In September 1983, President Ronald Reagan wrote a letter to Lance Cpl. Joe Hickey before he deployed to Beirut. He told Hickey, “Some people work an entire lifetime and wonder if they ever made a difference to the world. But the Marines don’t have that problem.”

Having the privilege to attend the memorial for Lance Cpl. Benjamin W. Schmidt in October, I’m certain truer words have never been written. Every speaker revealed another separate but special facet to Benjamin, son of 2011 Valero Alamo Bowl Chairman and Spurs team physician Dr. David Schmidt.

As heart-wrenching as it was to hear, you couldn’t help but be amazed at everything Benjamin had accomplished in his short 24 year life including two things he kept from his parents: finishing at the top of sniper class and volunteering to redeploy. As the senior member of his unit, he didn’t want to “leave his boys” without a leader during such a dangerous assignment.

While the Valero Alamo Bowl staff has struggled to find words to comfort Dr. Schmidt, we have been clear in what we wanted to do: appropriately honor Benjamin along with the other fallen servicemen and women.

So on the field at the 2011 Valero Alamo Bowl next Thursday, we will recognize Benjamin by placing his initials “BWS” inside the marine insignia on the field and on the helmet stickers worn by the teams.

Knowing he’s not alone in his loss, I’ve heard Dr. Schmidt say he “hasn’t cornered the market on grief” several times. Sadly, our staff has learned that over the past 10 years during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are over 90 fallen heroes from the San Antonio area who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

The families of these fallen heroes are known as Gold Star Families and the Valero Alamo Bowl has invited them to attend the game as our guests with the support of Stephen Ballantyne and Wells Fargo.

Prior to kickoff, a football field size American flag will be unfurled by members of the Lackland Air Force Base 37th Training Wing. Pictures of the fallen soldiers whose famlies are in attendance will scroll on the video walls and the names of all of the fallen soliders will listed on the ribbon boards as Grammy award winning artist Lee Greenwood sings “God Bless The U.S.A.”

The tremendous sacrifices our military members and their families make for our country every day will then be recognized throughout the game including these specific programs:

Wounded Warrior Project

The purpose of the Wounded Warrior Project is to raise awareness and enlist public aid for injured service members. To reach their goal, the Wounded Warrior Project provides direct and unique programs and services to meet the needs of heroes who have been injured in action.

Through the generosity of The USAA Foundation and A.J. Monier, representatives of the Wounded Warrior Project are attending tonight’s game

Military Warriors Support Foundation / Homes 4 Wounded Heroes

The Homes 4 Wounded Heroes program gives mortgage-free homes to wounded servicemen and women who have been injured during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The homes are for families who have severe and/or unique circumstances due to their injuries received while serving our country. In addition to the home, the families will receive three years of family and financial mentoring.

With the support of The Valero Corporation, Military Warriors Support Foundation is awarding a mortgage-free home to a wounded hero from the San Antonio area through its Homes 4 Wounded Heroes initiative.

The Center for the Intrepid

During Bowl Week players and coaches from Baylor and Washington will visit the Center for the Intrepid on the Brooke Army Medical Center campus. The Center for the Intrepid is a state-of-the-art outpatient rehabilitation facility for wounded warriors who have suffered amputation, limb salvage and higher functioning burn patients. The Huskies and the Bears will tour the facility, meet with recovering heroes and even be challenged to compete in activities used for rehabilitation.

USO

The USO is a nonprofit, congressionally chartered, private organization that lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families through hundreds of locations around the world. The USO has 16 different programs that provide services ranging from donating free phone cards and reading programs to supporting friends and families of fallen heroes. This year, General Dynamics Information Technology is underwriting tickets for 200 men and women who will attend on behalf of the USO.

On his Facebook wall on the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 and less than a month before his death, Marine Lance Cpl. Benjamin W. Schmidt posted “I guess you can use today as a reason for us to be here in Afghanistan. Just know I’m fighting for myself, but most of all for all my friends and family who read this. Everyone, it’s an honor to be your ambassador.”

For the Valero Alamo Bowl, it’s an honor to have known Benjamin and pay tribute to the Gold Star Families as well as host over 4,000 active servicemen and women to attend this year’s game.